Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Ending Explained: The Post-Credit Scene and the “Death” of the DCEU Explained
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom represents the end of the DCEU, but how does Arthur Curry’s cinematic journey end? For those unfamiliar with the franchise’s history, it is useful to know that James Wan’s sequel has several connections with the previous chapter, giving it a curious sense of “autonomy”. The reason for this probably comes from the changes made to the film following the reshoots, necessary to ensure that the narrative of Aquaman 2 did not clash with James Gunn’s new DCU and that the film managed to close Arthur’s journey in the DCEU before the total reboot of the franchise (which will officially take place starting from 2024).
In detail, the story of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom focuses on the battle of the eponymous hero against Black Manta, the first film’s antagonist who returns in search of revenge against Arthur Curry. In the finale, the conflict between the two characters reaches its climax: the DCEU, therefore, officially ends with the story told in this sequel, but it is natural to wonder if it offers a worthy conclusion to the characters and the various storylines of the franchise starring Jason Momoa. An obligatory stop for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the ending explanation. Because if it is true that the franchise of which Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa & Co. are part is destined to disappear, even more so the film is configured as the long farewell of the cinematic universe. Missing something would be a shame. So happy reading and remember, from here on out there are only spoilers.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Ending Explained
Manta wants revenge on Aquaman, and Kordax aspires to world domination. For the two’s projects to come true, the blood of at least one descendant of Atlan must be shed. There is an embarrassment of choice: Arthur, Orm, and little Arthur Jr., on whom the attention of the villains is concentrated at the beginning. Orm and Aquaman reach Necrus to recover the child, kidnapped by Manta who would like to sacrifice him and free Kordax with his blood. Aquaman saves his son and defeats Manta but does not notice that Orm has collected Kordax’s Black Trident. After allowing himself to be possessed by the spirit of the ancient ruler, Orm attacks his brother, whom he has not forgiven for having stolen the crown of Atlantis from him. During the battle, Aquaman suffers a blow and loses blood. Kordax awakens.
The Earth seems doomed, but Kordax hasn’t reckoned with Aquaman‘s tenacity. Who manages, by leveraging Orm’s feelings, to convince his brother to give him the Black Trident and give up his intentions of revenge. Aquaman picks up the trident and throws it at Kordax who manages to grab it, dodging the blow. He cannot, the evil ruler, simultaneously avoid the Trident of Atlan, which Aquaman throws at him immediately afterward. Kordax is defeated, Necrus collapses, and Manta refuses salvation from Aquaman‘s hands and prefers to die rather than accept the help of the man he considers responsible for his father’s death.
Make way for the well-deserved happy ending: Orm, who has given up his dream of becoming king again, does not return to prison. He makes peace with Arthur, who to save his brother will deceive the people of Atlantis for good by telling him about his heroic death in combat. Orm, free because he was believed to be dead, decides to experiment with life on land. Arthur prepares for the historical turning point: the arrival in New York of a delegation from Atlantis, for the first epochal contact between the two worlds. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom ends the DCEU’s run on a note of harmony and reconciliation. Now, it only remains to find out what exactly the Gunn-Safran duo has in store for the franchise and the future of the characters. See you in 2025.
The Black Trident and the Curse of the Lost Kingdom?
At the center of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is Black Manta’s attempt to discover the civilization that gives the film its title. Early on, the character finds the menacing black trident that holds the spirit of King Kordax, brother of King Atlan. Kordax promises Black Manta revenge against Aquaman if he can find the Lost Kingdom of Necrus and release the curse placed on it by King Atlan: specifically, the curse saw Atlan condemn the entire civilization of Necrus to be frozen in ice, hidden under the ice sheets of Antarctica after Kordax lost the war with his brother.
Black Manta’s Plan To Break King Kordax’s Curse On Necrus?
As for how Black Manta plans to lift the curse on Necrus and King Kordax, the answer lies in Atlantis’ royal bloodline. Initially, the curse was enacted by Atlan, who used the magical blood to imprison Kordax and Necrus. As such, it could therefore only be broken by someone of Atlan’s lineage, therefore Atlanna, Arthur, Orm, or Arthur Jr. Manta plans to kidnap Arthur Jr. and sacrifice the child to free Kordax and Necrus. This would have allowed Manta to carry out his plan – to kill Aquaman‘s family -, guaranteeing him the army necessary to definitively defeat Atlantis and his nemesis.
How Does Aquaman Manage To Defeat King Kordax?
In the finale of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Arthur manages to save his son, causing a fight between him and Black Manta. Manta is defeated by Aquaman before Kordax’s spirit manages to possess Orm. The latter gets the better of Arthur and spills his blood on the altar, thus freeing Kordax from his prison. However, Arthur defeats Kordax by throwing both the black trident and King Atlan’s trident at the villain, thus putting an end to his evil plans once and for all.
Is Black Manta Really Dead?
The chaos that follows after Kordax’s defeat and Necrus’ destruction sees Black Manta dragged into a fissure beneath the ice. The villain tries to resist before Arthur offers him his hand to save his life. But Black Manta refuses to take Aquaman‘s hand and falls into the seemingly infinite abyss into which Necrus is dragged. Given that Black Manta had lost the superhuman powers granted to him by the black trident, it is extremely unlikely that he survived the fall. While the ending of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom does not confirm his death, it similarly provides no hint that the character survived, marking the end of the iconic comic book antagonist in the DCEU.
Why Black Manta Didn’t Accept Aquaman‘s Help?
Of course, Black Manta’s apparent death scene raises the question of why the character didn’t take Aquaman‘s hand to save his life. The reason for this stems from 2018’s first Aquaman and the origins of Manta’s hatred for Arthur. In the first film, Arthur attacked a boat managed by Black Manta and his father’s band of pirates, defeating the latter and entrusting the fate of his opponent’s father to the sea. Before dying, Black Manta’s father makes his son promise to kill Aquaman, the character’s main goal in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The hatred that Black Manta has towards Arthur is the reason why the former does not take the latter’s hand at the end of the sequel. The character would rather die than take the hand of the man who killed his father, thus allowing himself to be reclaimed by the destruction of Necrus.
Atlantis Reveals Itself To The Rest Of The World?
One of the most significant moments of the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom finale is Arthur revealing the existence of Atlantis to those living on Earth. Aquaman had been prevented from revealing the kingdom’s existence by the Atlantean council itself, as the inhabitants of the sea despise those of the surface. However, Arthur believes that a relationship between the Atlanteans and humans could prove beneficial to both: he therefore decides to go against the wishes of the council and reveal the underwater kingdom to everyone. This means that the seven sea kingdoms and the countries of Earth will begin to live together. If DC had planned to make a third Aquaman film, he would likely have explored this connection. However, since the DCU will be rebooted starting in 2024, the storyline of the world of Atlantis mixing with that of humans is something that will never be explored.
Was Atlantis Also Revealed in DC Comics?
The revelation of Atlantis to humans in the finale of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom raises an important question: did the same happen in DC Comics too? In the comics, Atlantis’ presence is known to the people of Earth, although it is rarely taken seriously. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom changed that somewhat by having Atlantis become a major world power by joining the United Nations. In the DC Comics comics, Atlantis is much more self-sufficient: it grows its civilization beneath the waves and helps humans only when necessary, through Aquaman‘s ties to the Justice League.
The Reference to Marvel Studios’ Iron Man?
One of the funniest moments of the finale of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the reference to Iron Man, the 2008 Marvel Studios film. In the finale, Arthur gives a speech to the people of Earth announcing the presence of Atlantis: at the end of the speech, Arthur looks into the camera and says, “I am Aquaman,” before throwing the microphone in the air and exiting the scene. This moment is a clear reference to the now-iconic finale of 2008’s Iron Man, in which Tony Stark reveals his superhero identity to the entire world.
The Mid-Credits Scene?
Although Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom represents the official closure of the DCEU, the film still contains a mid-credits scene, a fun little scene that, naturally, does not reveal anything about the future of the franchise (in this case, the new James Gunn’s DCU). In the scene in question, Orm is finally enjoying life on Earth, after Arthur allows him to escape and make himself untraceable so as not to have to return to his prison. We see Orm in a pub overlooking the sea, indulging in the first taste of a cheeseburger in his life. This is a reference to an earlier moment in the film when Aquaman makes fun of him because his half-brother has no idea how delicious human food can be.
Orm decides to make up for his lack by finally enjoying his sandwich. However, when he sees a cockroach pass across the table, he promptly grabs it and decides to put it in the sandwich, implying that he doesn’t disdain the unusual condiment. In reality, this is also a reference to another previous moment, when Aquaman, after making fun of his brother, advises him to eat a cockroach, making him believe that it is another tasty human delicacy.
What Aquaman 2‘s Ending Means for the DCEU and the DCU
As for what the ending of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom means for the status of the DCEU and the next DCU, the answer remains unclear. One of the biggest issues with the DCEU films is just this: how will the franchise “transition” to the new DCU? The Flash made everything even more confusing, as did the Aquaman sequel, as many of the main Justice League characters are played by actors who appeared in the DCEU. The simplest answer is probably that the ending of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom won’t affect either franchise in any way. As for the DCEU, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom officially marked the end of the franchise. With the new DCU under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran, it has already been announced that the members of the Justice League will undergo a recast, meaning that Aquaman‘s story will be completely different in the future. This means that the ending of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will have no impact on the future of the DCU, unless Gunn and Safran’s universe involves Jason Momoa’s version of the character, which is highly unlikely.
The True Meaning of Aquaman 2‘s Ending
While it won’t have any impact on the DCU in the future, the ending of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom still has profound thematic significance. The general theme that permeates the film is that of the importance of building bridges: from Arthur trying to define his relationship with Orm to Atlantis wanting to build a link with the human world, the ending of James Wan’s film underlines how building bridges, therefore connecting with others, can bring benefits to everyone. However, that of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom remains a rather bittersweet ending, as the consequences of all these new connections will never be properly developed in the new DCU.
